Back to the Beginning
by Brittles
Summary: What if Regina had been telling the truth when she said that the Enchanted Forrest had been destroyed? Where would Jefferson's hat lead to instead...or should I say when? As Emma tries to cope with all of the changes in her life, she and Mary Margaret embark on a journey to where it all began: the past.
1. Chapter 1

Hello fellow Oncers! So this is my first attempt at an Once Upon a Time fanfic. I originally just wrote this out to appease the plot bunny in my head. However, I am surprisingly pleased with it so I figured I would share it.

Happy reading dearies!

* * *

The first thing Emma noticed was the throbbing in her head.

She was lying on the cold ground. Emma's head pulsed in pain as she vaguely remembered the events that got her into this position.

'_Goddamn magical hats'_

Emma squinted her eyes open and immediately regretted the action. The surrounding world was bright, green, and overwhelming to the growing pain in her head.

She felt the fabric of her sleeve pulled and slowly reopened her eyes to see a arm grasping her that belonged to no other than Mary Margaret.

Her best friend. Who was also her mother.

Closing her eyes again, Emma inwardly groaned. The other events of the past day came flooding back to her: The poisoned turnover, Henry laying on a hospital bed, Regina's reveal that the curse was real, fighting a dragon, Gold's double crossing, and Henry's death.

Henry was not dead though. He was very much alive. Emma's tensed muscles relaxed at the thought. To think it was only hours ago she was telling Henry that she needed to leave Storybrook behind.

But that didn't happen. She broke the curse and she really was the _savior_.

Emma stared at her best friend's form lying on the ground beside her. It warped Emma's mind to think about the school teacher's true identity.

'_Princes and princesses? Dragon's and evil witches? Snow White and Prince Charming? This is insane. I didn't ask for any of this. I don't WANT this,_' Emma cringed, _'I really do need those bottles of wine.'_

What she wouldn't give for just one more day of normalcy; a day where she didn't need to use a sword or battle mythical creatures. She would much rather kick some typical human ass and then go home and drink hot cocoa. Still, Emma knew that a day like that was most likely far on the horizon.

It was Mary Margaret's stirring that broke Emma's trail of wishful thinking, bringing her back to reality. Emma fought the pain from the bump on her head as she sat up and began to shake her friend's shoulders in an attempt to awaken her.

"Mary Margaret, wake up. Please, I need you to wake up," Emma pleaded. Mary Margaret eyes fluttered open and focused on the one thing that mattered to her: Emma.

"Emma! Are you alright?" Mary Margaret gasped.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just have one bitch of a headache. What the hell just happened?"

"You fell into the portal. I was so scared, Emma. I couldn't let you go through this alone. I had to come with you."

"You...came through on purpose?"

"You're my daughter," Mary Margaret said with the hint of a grin on her face. "I would do anything to keep you safe."

"Well, last time that same philosophy led to me being alone for 28 years" Emma said with a snap. Snows face fell and Emma immediately felt guilty for the comment. This was no time to play the abandoned daughter. There were more pertinent problems at the moment.

'_Like figuring out where the hell we just landed so I can get back to Henry.'_

"Look, why don't we just focus on where we are," Emma reasoned.

Snow still looked like she had been slapped in the face, but she knew that Emma was right. The two paid close attention to their surroundings for the first time. Emma realized that the green hazy light that blinded her at first was in fact the green of nature. They were in a dense forest meadow filled with trees and flowers. The whole area was filled by the sunlight of the mid-day afternoon.

"I know this place," Mary Margaret said in an almost whisper, "I've been here before." Mary Margaret's forehead squinted in thought until her eyes laid place on a non-distinct tree hidden behind some shrubbery. She slowly placed one foot in front of the other until she stood before the tree and pushed back the weeds.

Mary Margaret did not hear Emma's frustrated pleas for an explanation. All she saw was a name carved into the tree in the handwriting of a little girl.

_Snow White_

"Mare…does that say what I think it says?" Emma asked hesitantly.

"Yes…oh my! I remember this tree. I used to play here in this meadow as a young girl. When the second Ogre War hit my father forbid me to wander from the castle. I carved my name here as a goodbye to this place…" Mary Margaret trailed off as she approached the brush beside the carved wood. She pulled the branches and leaves back and gasped when she saw what came into sight.

Just off into the distance stood a behemoth structure with turrets, high towers and stone walls.

"Is that what I think it is?" Emma asked, wishing she didn't already know the answer.

"If you're thinking it's a castle then yes, it is. It's our castle. Our _home_."

Mary Margaret met Emma's gaze and the unspoken truth rang between them. They shouldn't be standing in this meadow staring at the place where they would have created a lifetime of memories. They shouldn't be in the Enchanted Forest period.

"I thought Regina said that this place didn't exist anymore?" Mary Margaret pondered.

"The day when I trust a single word out of Regina's mouth is the day when pigs fly..." She hesitated, "Wait, please tell me that doesn't actually happen here?" Emma asked with a sickened look on her face.

Mary Margaret shot Emma a smirk, "I assure you, you're safe from flying pigs. However, we may not be safe from what else is out here besides us. We should get moving towards the castle. Whatever happened to us when we fell through the portal, the answer to getting us home may be there."

Emma shot Mary Margaret an apprehensive look. The last thing she wanted to do was visit a fairy tale castle that doubled as her infant home.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said softly looking into Emma's eyes, "I know that the events of the past day have been overwhelming for you and I am so sorry for that. But if you want to get back to Henry, we need to move forward. And that means going to the castle."

The sound of her son's name gave Emma all of the resolve she needed.

"Okay. Let's go."

Mary Margaret gave Emma's hand a quick squeeze.

"We'll need to double back a little and follow the outskirts of the sea before we hit the bridge that will lead to the castle. Follow me"

* * *

"I hate to be the five year old in the backseat of the mini-van, but are we there yet?" Emma groaned. The 'nature hike' routine was getting old fast.

"Actually, yes. See that bridge up there? That's the main entry way into the castle compound." Mary Margaret explained. "How are you holding up out here? Do you need to take a rest?"

"No. We're already here at the bridge gate. The sooner we get to the castle the sooner we get back to Henry," Emma said as she stumbled over a tree root. Mary Margaret shot her daughter an equally bemused and concerned look.

"Really Mare, I'm fi—"Emma's straight up lie was interrupted by the snap of a branch and the sound of footsteps. Mary Margaret's head whipped in the direction of the noise.

"Emma, get down, NOW!"

Emma barely had time to process the command before an arrow shot past her, grazing her shoulder slightly before hitting a tree behind her.

"EMMA!" Mary Margret screamed in a panic.

"I'm fine," Emma said with a cringe as arrows continued to fly over their heads. "It's just a scratch. What the hell is going on?"

Before Mary Margaret could answer, the onslaught of arrows halted. The booming voice of a guard came from across the field.

"You are trespassing castle grounds. Identify yourselves."

"What the hell is this? Shoot first—"Mary Margaret cut her daughter off.

"We apologize. We did not realize that there were others in the area. We were told that this land was abandoned. Please, we are just looking for some help."

After a few moments of hesitation, the guard stepped closer into view.

"Lancelot?!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Snow White?" Lancelot was confused. The woman standing before him had the face of Snow White as well as the fair skin and the raven hair. However, this was not the Snow he knew. He was not convinced.

"No, that's impossible. I had counsel with Queen Snow this morning concerning the extra forces surrounding the castle grounds to protect against the Evil Queen. You obviously tell lies. You must be working for Regina" Lancelot growled.

Emma began to frantically glance between her mother and the knight.

"This morning…?" Emma trembled as she clutched her shoulder in pain. How could have this guy had talked to the fairy tale version of her mother just this morning? Where the hell did that stupid hat drop them?

"Save your talk for the King and Queen. I'm bringing you in."

* * *

So that's chapter one! Stay tuned for chapter two! Reviews are always welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hi Everyone! Thank you all so much for the amazing response to this story. You guys inspire me to keep on writing!

Here is Chapter 2!

* * *

"_Snow White?" Lancelot was confused. The woman standing before him had the face of Snow White as well as the fair skin and the raven hair. However, Lancelot was not convinced._

"_No, that's Impossible. I only just had counsel with you this morning concerning the extra forces surrounding the castle grounds to protect against the Evil Queen. You must be an imposter!"_

_Emma began to frantically glance between her mother and the knight._

"_This morning…?" Emma trembled as she clutched her shoulder in pain._

"_Save your talk for the King and Queen. I'm bringing you in."_

* * *

Emma stared at the cold, gray walls as she paced in her cell. The stones glistened with dew in the murky light peaking from the cracks in the ceiling. She had yet to speak a word to her mother. What does one say when you just got arrested by Lancelot and are locked in a castle dungeon?

"Emma, we should talk about this."

Emma groaned.

"Talk about what? The fact that we are prisoners and are just plain stuck here until they decide what to do with us? If you have an escape plan, now's the time to tell me."

"No, I think that we are where we should be right now. We wanted to go to the castle and here we are. Fate just works in funny ways."

"Well, fate's a bitch." Emma said sourly. "If escape isn't on your mind, then what is?"

"Um, well, we never really did get a chance to finish our conversation from yesterday. You know, about you and me…" Mary Margaret trailed off, unsure of how Emma would respond to this request. Her first attempt at a conversation had not gone well the day before, what with the distraction of the topic of one night stands and the looming confrontation with Gold.

"Look, Mare, I really don't want to get into this, okay? All I can possibly stand right now is focusing on getting back to Henry."

"But like you said, we are stuck here until they figure out what to do with us. There is nothing we can do right now. Can't we just look at this as an opportunity to be alone with one another and deal with things?"

Emma sighed. Mary Margaret was right of course. There was nothing they could do far from magic, which they certainly did not have. She might as well get this conversation over with.

"Mary Margaret, I…" Emma trailed off as she tried to find the right words, "...I don't know the right way to react to all of this. My life has been rooted in what I thought was reality for so long. I just can't easily accept that the reason I was alone my whole life was because of a magical curse cast on a bunch of fairy tale characters. I mean, holy crap you're Snow White!" Emma paused. "But I can say with certainty one thing: If you had asked me two days ago to pick one person that I wish could have been my mother, I would have picked you. You are my family. I just need time to deal with the fact that that bond isn't just by friendship anymore; it's by blood. Can you respect that?" Emma pleaded.

"Oh Emma, of course I can. I love you. Whatever you need me to do, you can count on me. I promise," Mary Margaret exclaimed as she brought her daughter into a gentle hug. Emma at first stiffened at the contact, but realized that if Mary Margaret could be patient with her, she could at least meet her halfway. So Emma wrapped her arms around her best friend.

This mother-daughter moment was interrupted when they heard footsteps approaching their cell.

From out of the shadows came forward a face that both women had come to know well. Emma noted his brown leather trousers, a white tunic, and a deep blue cloak. This was not how Emma was used to seeing this person and just this alone rendered her speechless. Unlike her daughter, Mary Margaret couldn't contain her joy of seeing the sight she knew all too well.

"David!" Mary Margaret said breathlessly.

Charming stood in front of the two prisoners Lancelot had reported about. Though he had been warned of the one trespasser's likeness to his wife, he was not fully prepared for the shock of seeing what he perceived to be an exact replica of Snow. Yes, though she was dressed strangely and had a strange haircut, this woman held the most striking resemblance to the queen.

"Who are you? And why did you call me David?" Charming asked as he stared intensely into the doppelganger's eyes.

"Because that's your name; the name you were given when you were still the son of a Sheppard. Charming, it's me, Sno—"

"How did you know about that? There are only a few in the lands who know of that name. Answer my question with no lies this time: Who are you?" Charming accused, his patience wearing thin. This woman knew more than she should and that thought scared him. If she was here to hurt his family, she would pay.

"Look at me, you know who I am. I'm Snow." Snow stated as tears filled her eyes. Seeing the look of cold disdain on her husband's face was breaking her heart. She needed him right now more than ever. He had to believe her. Her and Emma's fate depended on it.

Snow held her hand out towards Charming through the bars of the cell, reaching for the familiar, comforting touch of her husband. Charming was about to push her hand away when he saw the glimmer of a green stone: His mother's ring on the woman's finger. The same ring he had seen on his wife just this morning.

Charming looked up into the woman's eyes once more. He had heard it said that you could see someone's soul by looking through their eyes and perhaps they were right. In this woman's eyes he saw no one but the essence of his true love. He gently took Mary Margaret's hand.

"How-?" Charming asked confused.

"I'm from another time that has yet to pass. We need your help to get home to where we belong."

Charming's forehead burrowed as let this revelation sink in.

"We...?" It was then that he finally noticed Emma standing uncomfortably in the other end of the cell, avoiding his gaze. "Who is she?"

Mary Margaret looked towards Emma and momentarily panicked.

'_How much does Charming already know of the curse? Of the daughter he has yet to have? I have to protect Emma and that means, for now, I need to keep her identity a secret.' _

"This is Eva. She is my dearest of friends. She can be trusted."

Emma shot a look towards her mother_. _

'_Eva?! What is Mary Margaret up to?'_

Snow returned the look as to convey to keep quiet until she could explain later.

"If you trust her, than so do I." Charming said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a rusted key. He unlocked the cell and led Mary Margaret out, followed by an apprehensive Emma.

"We must meet with the council at once. If we work together, I believe that we can help you." Charming explained. "I promise you, I will get you home."

With that statement, Charming led the future travelers away from the dungeons and up towards the main chambers. What none of them knew, however, was that a certain imp sat in his own cell beyond the stone wall, listening to their exchange with a sinister grin on his scaled face.

* * *

Thanks for reading :) Chapter 3 is coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! Let me start by saying that yes, I'm still alive! I apologize for the delay in getting this new chapter to you. There is nothing like the last semester of your senior year of college plus a job and an internship to keep you from having rarities such as the fabled "free-time." Alas, I have finally had time to finish writing and editing this chapter. Enjoy dearies!

* * *

_"We must meet with the council at once. If we work together, I believe that we can help you." Charming explained. "I promise you, I will get you home."_

_With that statement, Charming led the future travelers away from the dungeons and up towards the main chambers. What none of them knew, however, was that a certain imp sat in his own cell beyond the wall listening to exchange. A grin formed on his scaled face._

* * *

Charming, Mary Margaret, and Emma made their way through the dark and damp corridors out of the dungeon. Emma couldn't help but notice the way that Charming kept looking at Mary Margaret; the astonishment, the confusion, and the love. It was complicated, but Emma felt like the person she was next to, albeit sharing the same face as David Nolan, was a stranger that she could more easily align with the moniker 'father.' Perhaps it was his unfamiliar leather ensemble or the way he carried himself. Still, Emma knew that a large reason she felt that way was because she never truly knew David Nolan. He was just the guy that broke Mary Margaret's heart; a name that she was cautious to mention. Her roommate on the other hand had been her best friendt. Mary Margaret was the first person she had let herself open up to since Neal. Now what she was she supposed to do? Just forget their past and forge ahead?

'Sounds easy enough,' Emma thought with a snark, 'if only it were that simple.'

Emma eyed Mary Margaret. She had yet to explain to her daughter as to why she kept her true identity a secret. Emma took down a mental note to ask her what that was all about once they were alone.

Emma was aware that throughout her introspective, Charming and Mary Margaret had been carrying on a conversation. Albeit, a mostly one-sided conversation. Charming asked question after question about his wife's life and where/when she was from. Mary Margaret politely kept dodging the questions, afraid to give the wrong information away. Soon Charming gave up on asking the big questions and moved on to smaller details.

"So what became of your hair? Not that I don't think you still look beautiful, but you have always loved your long hair."

"It's a long story…"Charming cut Mary Margaret off.

"…A story in which you won't reveal anything." Charming softly accused.

"Charming, you know why I must keep mum. I have to protect the future."

"What could there be to protect? I know you, Snow. You have sadness in your eyes. Certainly you aren't trying to protect the curse."

The mention of the curse snapped both Mary Margaret and Emma into attention.

"You know about the curse?" Mary Margaret asked. This was her first indication that they were further along the timeline than she suspected. 'Surely, he must know of Emma's existence then?' Mary Margaret pondered.

"Yes, we learned of it just this morning. That's why the council will still be on castle grounds; we've already met today" Charming explained and turned to look into Mary Margaret's eyes. "I know you must have been through so much, being sent through the wardrobe to a place you do not know and raising our child on your own…" Charming paused. Although he knew logically that his wife was pregnant, he had yet to align that detail with the future Snow who stood next to him, who was most certainly not pregnant.

"…Emma," Charming whispered, "Snow, where's Emma?" Charming said in a panic. He had already assessed that his wife couldn't be from too far in the future. Apart from her strange, boyish haircut, she looked as if little to no time had passed. Surely his daughter was still an infant or at oldest a toddler. Where was she if not with her mother?

Mary Margaret prided herself on being truthful and kind. Already this trip has caused her to lie to her husband once. She was not proud of it, but she knew that anything that goes awry could affect Emma. She knew that this was one question she could not avoid. So she figured that one more lie couldn't hurt; this time to protect not just Emma, but also her husband from the painful truth.

"Emma is safe. She is with someone I trust." Mary Margaret lied. She turned to look towards her daughter and a smile crept onto her face. "Oh Charming, she is so beautiful. She is more than I could have ever asked for and I am so proud of her," She finished, this time telling the absolute truth.

Emma began to tear up. 'Get a hold of yourself Swan. You're an adult, so act like it.' Still, no amount of logical thinking could curb the wave of emotion that swelled through Emma when Mary Margaret quietly squeezed her hand.

Charming was so overcome with relief that he did not notice the moment between mother and daughter.

"This news fills me with the hope that in the mess of this curse, we will be able to protect our family," Charming said before hesitantly continuing. "Our daughter, does she know who I am? Of how much I love her?"

"Yeah,… she does" Said, not Mary Margaret, but Emma.

The fact that she had spoken did not register to Emma until after a moment had passed and her parents were both staring at her. Her mother had an impish grin on her face, overjoyed that Emma had in a way referred to David as her father. The king on the other hand, gave her a look of confusion. It was obvious to Emma that he had forgotten her presence until now. She couldn't blame him. Before she went and opened her big mouth, she had been doing a fine job of blending in the wall and staying quiet. Now, her father stared intently at Emma, as if her hazel blue eyes held the answers to the mysterious 'Eva.'

"May I ask how you would know that information?" Charming asked as he took a step towards Emma, causing her to back closer to the stone wall.

"Charming," Mary Margaret jumped in, "Eva is my trusted friend and confidant. You can take her word at value. "

His wife's words seemed to be enough for the moment and the trio finished their journey to the main hall in a natural silence.

The hall was huge. Emma would have to spend all day in that spot if she wanted to see all of the detail in the moldings, sculptures and murals. Her heart began to beat a little bit faster. The absurdity and gravity of the situation was weighing heavily on her in that moment, and she wanted nothing more than to just be home, sitting at her counter with a cup of hot cocoa, listening to Henry talk about his silly stories.

Mary Margaret could tell that Emma was eager to settle their situation. In her short experience knowing Emma, she knew that meant meant that sarcasm and aggression She shot a look towards her daughter, willing her to stay quiet. The less attention she attracts, the better. A spike of terror ran through Mary Margaret's veins when she thought of what could happen if Emma's identity was revealed. If Charming knew his wife had been cursed too and that Emma had grown up alone, the future could be changed drastically.

_'But is that a bad thing?' _

Mary Margaret hushed the thought as soon as it came. Such a dangerous thought to be thinking; that things could turn out better rather than worse.

She looked at her daughter and took in her sight: her beautiful blue eyes, her flowing blonde hair that is forming new knots by the minute, and, of course, her guarded stance and walled off heart.

How it ached to know the hardship of Emma's life until now.

If she had the chance to risk it all to keep her daughter out of harms way—for real this time, would she take it?

Mary Margaret was snapped out of her thoughts when large wooden doors to her side opened with a thud, a person she knew all too well entering the hall.

She couldn't help but grin.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome :)


End file.
